The Shorthand of Emotion
by writteninhaste
Summary: 10 drabbles written in response to the Ipod Shuffle Challenge. Not songfics. Variety of pairings.


**The Shorthand of Emotion**

_Response to the Ipod Shuffle Challenge_

Rules:

Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like.

2. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle.

3. Write a ficlet related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble; you start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards!

4. Do ten of these, then post them.

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**Hurt – Christina Aguilera**

Ingrid bit her lip as a silent tear slid down her cheek and fell with a muted splash into the churning water below her. Her eyes watched, unseeing, as the river wound its way beneath the bridge. Instead, in the shifting light that played on the water's surface, she saw the face of a man she had once held dear. The conjured image of Cornelius Fillmore, stared back at her with deep and soulful eyes. Ingrid sobbed as she remembered the last time those eyes had looked her way. She remembered the hurt and the pain and the beginnings of anger as she had thrown everything he had ever offered back in his face. She regretted it now, the frightened words she had hurled without meaning, but it was too late. This remembered face was all she had left of a once treasured friendship.

**I can't stop loving you – Frank Sinatra**

Anza smiled to himself as he wrapped his arms more firmly around Karen Tehama. She fitted so snugly in his embrace as he twirled them slowly around the dance floor. As she turned her head and smiled softly up at him, Anza knew that it wouldn't get any better than this. She opened her mouth to speak, and a ringing sound was all that emerged. Frowning Anza bent closer to hear what she was saying, but the ringing only got louder. He blinked, confused, and when he opened his eyes he was staring at the ceiling of his room. He was alone, as he had been these past three years – ever since Karen died.

**Valerie – The Zutons**

Fillmore grinned, watching from a distance as Penny Madrid swung her hips delicately to music only she could hear. He barely registered the frightened sixth graders who ran at the sight of him, afraid of attracting the attention of one of the schools most notorious thugs. About to approach her, he stopped when another boy got there first. He was tall, blonde and Penny greeted him with a heart-stopping smile. Fillmore watched, a dull ache in his chest, as Penny wrapped her arms around this nameless boy and kissed him. Scowling, Fillmore hit his fist against the nearest surface, nails biting into his palm. He watched with angry eyes as Penny walked away, wrapped in the arms of a stranger. When Wayne offered him a way out of the criminal world the next day, he took it – there was nothing left for him there anyway.

**Say what you want – Texas**

Vallejo lay, stretched out under the shade of a giant chestnut tree. Despondently, he watched as in the distance 4 girls dressed in red and blue, laughed as they chased away yet another competitor. With a bitter heart, Vallejo stayed where he was and did nothing to stop them. Closing his eyes, he tried to erase the look of glee that he had seen on Malika's face. She was undercover, he told himself; she was just playing a part. He didn't believe it. Later he caught her alone, tried to speak with her. He begged her to stay – to remember her promises to the Safety Patrol, her promises to him. His heart fractured when Malika laughed in his face. It broke when she handed in her badge and belt.

**If everyone cared – Nickleback.**

Fillmore and Ingrid lay side by side, gazing at the light of the Milky Way. Hands clasped, they said nothing, desperate to cling to what might be their last moments together. Focusing on the stars above, Fillmore tried to ignore the weight of the dog tags around his neck and what they meant. He had chosen this, did not regret it, but the reality of leaving was much harder than he had expected. He knew he feared dying – who didn't? – already he had received word of friends and comrades who had fallen far from home. But what he really feared was leaving Ingrid – of leaving her alone. The light of the stars caught on his simple gold wedding band as he laid his hand across her swollen belly. He feared leaving _them_ alone.

**Soap and Water – Suzanne Vega**

Karen scrubbed her hands viciously, desperate to remove the blood encrusted there. It was days like this, that she wondered it she had made the right decision to become a paramedic. She dreaded the days when they couldn't save anybody – not one. She hated how the deaths seemed to collect on her hands, far less easy to remove than the blood that now dribbled down the drain. She wondered what her parents would say if they could see her now – '_toughen up'_ most likely. They never held for sentimentality. But Karen _was_ sentimental and there was no one here to ease her pain.

**Everybody's Fool – Evanescence.**

Ariella stood before her mirror, staring at the girl reflected in its depths. Black hair, green eyes, pale skin – the epitome of ethereal beauty; a beauty unmarred by blemish or stain – at least on her face. Pulling back her sleeve, Ariella stared with disgust at the deep slash that ran from elbow to wrist. She couldn't stand it – always having to be the perfect elder daughter, unable to be perfect when she had a perfect younger sister. Pulling down her sleeve Ariella once again donned the mask she always wore.

**Goodbye to you – Michelle Branch**

Ingrid ran her fingers over the bronze badge that marked her as a newly minted Safety Patroller. This badge marked the end of her old existence and heralded the birth of a new Ingrid Third. How many years had she clung to her life as a rebel – desperate for that which she believed identified her. It was strange, saying farewell to that life and embracing another. She was glad not to be alone. Glancing up, she saw the reassuring smile of her partner, Cornelius Fillmore – the boy who had offered his friendship indiscriminately. She knew that there would be times when she would be tempted to stray from this path she had chosen to walk, but her instincts told her that this boy would always be there to help her stay true to her new self. He would become the one thing that she now clung to – her life of crime was behind her.

**Banana Pancakes.**

Joseph opened his eyes to the early dawn light, and the sound of rain against the rooftops. With a groan he rolled over and closed his eyes, wrapping an arm more securely around Karen's waist. He ignored her attempts to get up and pulled her snugly against him. She laughed, a warm, loving sound, and gave up, tucking herself into the crook of his arm, her breath ghosting over his skin. Smiling, Joe inhaled the soft sweet scent of her shampoo and revelled in the bliss that came with waking up next to Karen. World be damned, he was staying here until someone forcefully dragged him away – after-all, it was Saturday.

**This Love – Maroon 5**

It was crazy, frenetic and frightening. It was like nothing they had ever felt before. It was as though they were drunk or high, constantly fighting a daze. They fell together, tore each other apart and then scrambled to try and pick up the pieces, only to do it all over again. Something had to give – they both knew this – but neither one was willing to let go. Eventually, they knew, this half-demented thing they called love, would destroy them. They would go down, consumed in flames and unable to be saved, but until then they would ride the wave and try to stay abreast of the tied. It could be hours, days, weeks, or years until it ended, but until then, they would try to survive.

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A/N: I would like to say that my Ipod selection is not nearly half as depressive as these 10 songs would suggest, it was just the luck of the draw. Feedback would be appreciated, as it's actually quite hard to write a drabble in the space of a approximately 3 minutes. As always, thank you for reading.


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